Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Zanmuaval&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmuaval’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date October 15-22; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat.

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘Zanmuaval’

RELATED CULTIVARS

This new plant cultivar ‘ZANMUAVAL’ is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat., commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmuaval’. ‘Zanmuaval’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new cultivars with a double type inflorescence, a natural season flower date around October 15-22, blooming for a period of 5 weeks. ‘Zanmuaval’ is a seedling resulting from a crossing program between the female parent id 3384 and male parent id 19455. Plants of the new cultivar ‘Zanmuaval’ differ from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics. (1) Inflorescence size. And (2) Inflorescence color. (1) The inflorescences of the female parent are smaller in size than those of the seedling. (2) The inflorescences of the female parent are red, while those of the seedling are purple.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Zanmuaval’ differ from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics. (1) Vigor. And (2) Susceptibility for white rust. (1) Plants of the male parent are more vigorous than those of the seedling. (2) Plants of the male parent are more susceptible for white rust than those of the seedling.

The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Wilhelmus Bernardus Blom on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in 2006. The first act of asexual production of ‘Zanmuaval’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings from the initial selection in 2006 were propagated further in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 23 in 2009. The natural blooming date of this crop was October 15-22 (week 42/43). The average height of the plants was 30 cm. No growth retardants were used. Tests were tested on susceptibility for infection by the fungus white rust Puccinia horiana. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with purple ray florets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Zanmuaval’ is ‘Venus’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,378). When ‘Venus’ and ‘Zanmuaval’ are being compared the following difference is noticed: The difference of ‘Venus’ and ‘Zanmuaval’ are (1) natural season blooming date, and (2) difference in tonality of inflorescence color. (1) Plants of ‘Venus’ flower in an earlier period than those of ‘Zanmuaval’. (2) Inflorescences of ‘Venus’ are evenly purple colored, while those of ‘Zanmuval’ are more two tone colored, purple with a dark center.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Zanmuaval’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat. ‘Zanmuaval’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.5 cm, height 0.3 cm Shape Oblate Texture Pubescent Outside Color Greyed-green 191B Phyllaries Number 20-22, arranged in 3 rows Shape Elliptic Apex Acute Base Truncate Margin Entire Color Upper surface Length and width   1 cm; 0.1 cm Texture Pubescent Inflorescence Type Double Height 1.5 cm Diameter   5 cm Peduncle length   5-6 cm Peduncle color Green 138C Peduncle diameter 0.2 cm Peduncle texture Pubescent Number per branch Approx.6 inflorescences Duration of flowering 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate, Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5 mm, diameter 0.8 mm Fragrance Faint chrysanthemum odor Color Center of inflorescences Immature stage: Purple N79B Mature stage: Purple N79D Color of upper surface of the Purple N79C ray-florets Color of the lower surface Purple 77C of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with purple flowers with a dark center Color of the ray-florets after Purple 77D aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and lower surface smooth Number Ca. 250 Shape Elliptic Apex Dentate Base Attenuate Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of Straight majority Length of corolla tube 0.2-0.4 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length   1-2.5 cm Ray-floret width 0.2-0.5 cm Ratio length/width High Disc florets Absent Receptacle Color Green 138C Shape Domed raised Height 0.3 cm Diameter 0.4 cm Reproductive Organs Androecium Absent Pollen Not produced Gynoecium Present in ray-florets Style Length   3 mm Stigma color Yellow 7A Stigma Width   1 mm Ovary Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type pot mum, outdoor raised and mounded Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate Medium Height  30 cm Width  50 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199A Stem Strength Weak Stem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Not observed Internode length   2-4 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 20 cm Lateral branch color Green 137 C Lateral branch, attachment Brittle Lateral branch diameter   2 mm Branching (average number Prolific with 8-9 breaks after pinching of lateral branches) Natural season blooming date October 15-22 (week 42/43) Foliage Leaf color Upper side: Green 139A Lower side: Green N138A Color midvein Upper side: Yellow-green 147D Lower side: Yellow-green 148D Size Small.; length 3-5 cm, width 2-3.5 cm Quantity (number per lateral  15-17 branch) Shape Elliptic Texture upper side Sparsely pubescent Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Rounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Truncate Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.3-0.8 cm Petiole diameter 0.2-0.4 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety “Zanmuaval” ‘Venus’ Natural season blooming date Week 42/43 Week 35 Color center inflorescence Purple N79B Red-purple 60A Color upper surface ray florets Purple N79C Red-purple 60A 

1. A new and distinct chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmuaval’ as described and illustrated. 